


Always Like Itself

by LilyHellsing



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Multi, On the surface, Other, Past Lives, Reincarnation, Romance, Slow Burn, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-08
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-01-31 02:39:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12666585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyHellsing/pseuds/LilyHellsing
Summary: It started about eight months ago, the dreams. Every time you woke up, they’d be wisps of smoke that your senses could just faintly catch hold of. You weren’t entirely sure what they were about, but you knew they meant something. They had sparked a wanderlust in you. And, oddly enough, it had been around the same time that the world discovered the existence of monsters. With such astonishing luck, your best friend needed someone to take over her bookstore, which was located in Monster Town, for a few months. How the timing aligned! You jumped at the chance, partly to help your friend, but partly because you felt like you had to. Something was calling to you. So you went. What could go wrong?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello again everyone! So, I was re-reading ‘Strike a Chord’ and re-watching Undertale (both Jacksepticeye and Cryaotic, in that order, lol) and felt…like…well, like I wanted to write again. Never mind that I spent damn near every hour of my waking day writing reports…but anyway. To be absolutely truthful, I’m not 100% sure where this story is going to go. I have a general, faint idea of it…but beyond the first part, I’ve no idea what will happen. So, that should be oodles of fun! I wanted to do something underground, but given the whole ‘kill humans for souls’ thing…figured that it was better to do an On the Surface tale so it wouldn’t automatically end in tragedy for human soul collecting. So um…yeah. Let’s…let’s see what happens.

"There are no faster or firmer friendships than those formed between people who love the same books." - Irving Stone

            ~

            You got in late, way late. You were still on time for arriving late though. It had to be midnight, but this was about the time you estimated you’d arrive. The city, _your_ city, was a good six hours away, after all. The last hour and a half or so to this town was nothing but countryside. Literally, there were few, if any, street lights. There were way more trees than lights. Most of the roads were paved, sure, but they were rough and not kept up too well.

            This was Monster Town, the place where what shouldn’t exist, existed. It was as close to being in the middle of nowhere as the government could manage. After all, monsters were scary and were not to be trusted, right? What better place, and ironically fitting location, to put them than in the middle of nowhere? No lights, distant location, and minimally required resources and upkeep.

            The monsters weren’t confined or contained here, but it was rare that they were seen in other towns or cities. People…people weren’t comfortable with sightings of them like that. Then again, people were assholes. Hadn’t you just experienced that first-hand as well? Wasn’t that half the reason why you wanted to leave the city?  

But you didn’t mind this, the drive or the country. In fact, you enjoyed it. You could see the stars. Damn, you missed the stars. You always felt like there was a part of you missing while you were in the city. There was a part that was muffled, smothered by the noise and the smog and the people in the city. But how here? All these trees, the billions of stars, the crescent moon, the cold, crisp air? You felt…comfortable. You felt better. You felt…whole.

So you didn’t mind the drive. Traffic thinned out this way. You were able to blare your music with the windows down until your nose, which was still red, was numb from the cool September air. Ah, you loved the autumn. You loved the winter, the snow, better. The same, however, could not be said for your best friend, Emilie.

Not too long after the monsters came to the surface, Emilie lost her husband. It sounded horrible, and it was, but it had been expected. The man, Franklin, had been sick for…for a while. It only made their story all the sadder when Emilie discovered she was pregnant just shortly before he passed. But he had that knowledge, she told you, and another reason to watch over after he was gone. There was some comfort in that.

And again, it wasn’t a surprise, but it was still devastating that, afterwards, she was…essentially broke after she paid back his medical bills and funeral costs. She had some money saved up and plenty donated from friends, but it wasn’t enough to _keep_ living in the city. It was just too high a cost of living – and never mind the cost of a child to add to it.

You had offered to let her bunk with you, but your five-hundred something square foot studio apartment just wasn’t big enough. Not only that, but she insisted that she needed a change of scenery for a bit. You couldn’t blame her after losing Franklin. But you, along with her family and other friends, were surprised when she moved to Monster Town.

Emilie’s argument was simple. The place was different, it was cheap, she could continue her business of a bookstore, it was out in the countryside, and she wanted to keep busy, distracted, by meeting new people. Er, monsters. And while others tried to dissuade her and argue against her decision, you supported it quietly. Something, _something,_ told you that…that the monsters were okay. They wouldn’t harm her. She would safe there. Anyway, Emilie was the sort that few could manage to hate. And she had a point, it would prove to be a distraction, memory-free, and it was cheaper living.

You had wanted to help her move both her home and her business, to visit before this time, but something had always come up. First it was work, then it was an ex, then it was chaos, and then…well. Shit just keep happening lately. But none of that mattered, not now, not when you had just arrived in Monster Town. You parked in front of ‘The Last Paragraph’ bookstore which doubled as Emilie’s home.

Stepping out of the car, you looked around. Your friend’s bookstore was right before you with nearly all the lights out. Similar to the city, the building had a second story that Emilie used for her home. There was a single light on next to the window. In fact, most of the other buildings were like that, two-story and all. There weren’t any street lights, but there were – and you were astonished to see them – a handful of street _lamps_ scattered sparsely through the street. You couldn’t ever remember seeing one of those outside of, like, England or something, or your history textbooks. They weren’t as great as street lights, electricity and all, obviously, but they were something.

It was fairly quiet, dead almost…except for one building. It just happened to be the one right next to Emilie’s too. Well, it wasn’t _loud_ , per say, but it was a lot brighter and more lit up than the others. It was clear that whatever business ‘Grillby’s’ was, as the sign read, it was popular…at midnight. How curious. You wondered if that had ever been an issue here before. Emilie, though sweet, wasn’t the shy sort to keep quiet if there was an issue. And you…you definitely weren’t shy either. Not in that regard, not when it involved your sleep.

Ah, but sleep. How much of that would you get here? You hoped the quiet and clear countryside would help your…dreams. Nightmares? Dreams. Whatever they were, the things that kept waking you throughout the night for the past eight or so months. The things that, as frustrating as it was, you just couldn’t remember much of. That was yet another reason why you had agreed to take over Emilie’s business while she went somewhere warmer to finish off the pregnancy. You thought a change of scenery would help you as it had helped your friend.

Your eyes had lingered on the building not too far as you stood at your closed car door. With your hands in your jacket pockets, you found that you were spacing out a bit. It was only when you heard your name called did you blink and look around.

From the balcony was Emilie wrapped in a plush blanket and covered nearly head to toe with clothes. She waved and smiled down at you. From the nearby street lamp and the glowing light from the building next door, her blue eyes seemed to glow despite the half-moon. “Well don’t just stand there!” There was laughter in her voice. “Come on up! Doors unlocked. Do you need help with your bags? I can ask one of the locals next door to help if you want – I think Greater Dog is still at Grillby’s.”

You blinked, trying to process what she had just said. “Uh, nah, I’m good. I wouldn’t want to bother Greater or Less Than Dog.” You half-joked, wondering if that name ‘Greater Dog’ was something she had made up for one of the ‘locals’. So far, you noted, you hadn’t seen any monsters. _Yet_. Sure you had seen some on the television or in newspapers, but to see one up close and really before you…that would be something.

“Actually,” Emilie called out as you went to unlock the trunk, “it’s ‘Lesser Dog’, but you were close!” She went back inside. You didn’t blame her, it was cold outsider – something you adored but you knew she couldn’t handle. That was, after all, the whole point of her going to live with her cousin down south for a few months until she had the baby. Getting sick wasn’t the smartest idea and, really, it made her body ache in ways she hadn’t expected.

“Lesser Dog?” You repeated quietly as you picked out your overnight bag. The rest of your stuff would be safe in the car until morning. That was the great thing about having a studio apartment and living a rather minimalist life – it made for an easy, compact, gypsy lifestyle.

Shrugging your duffel bag over your shoulder, you shut the trunk and turned your body towards the bookstore. You paused though, your gaze still on the building next door. What was Grillby’s, exactly? “Hm.” You slid your keys into your jacket pocket and went up to the building. As Emilie said, the door was unlocked. You entered and shut it, twisting the lock on habit. City and country living were _very_ different.

You’d have to look over the store tomorrow in the light. For now, it was midnight and the long drive had finally hit you hard. It must have been all the darkness, you reasoned, that made your mind call for slumber. Even the lights that showed were mostly created by fire. They weren’t like the electricity in the city, the sort that kept you up, the sort that said that it was still light enough to keep working.

You found the staircase that led up to Emilie’s home – your temporary home for the time being – and walked up. You could hear footsteps up ahead and you called out, “Don’t bother waddling towards the stairs, I’m almost there.” You couldn’t help but tease her. You hadn’t seen her since…well, since she announced her leaving. She was now at about five months into her pregnancy, three months of which she had been here at Monster Town.

“Hardy-har-har. I’ll have you know, I roll with grace.” Emilie’s good-natured voice carried down. You smiled wider and quickened your steps. You hadn’t realized how much you missed your best friend until now.

When you got to the top of the staircase, you dropped your bag. Just a few feet from you stood the woman you had known since high school. Her long blonde hair was pinned in a messy bun, her smile was as wide as yours, and her blue eyes were vivid. Even wrapped up and bound in cloth, she looked good – the only thing that was worrying was the paleness of her skin. She called out your name in greeting and you stepped forward to hug her.

“Emilie!” You hadn’t realized how much your heart had swelled with joy until you inhaled. “Motherhood looks good on you!” It was true though, the pale skin aside. “You shouldn’t have stayed up so late for me, I could have found my way in.”

When she pulled away, she gestured to her round stomach. “Ah, I couldn’t sleep anyway – baby started kicking lately. They’re a night owl, just like their daddy.” You caught the wistfulness in her tone, but her gentle smile was honest.

You returned the smile though perhaps just a bit sad. “Well in any case, I’m glad to see you again. Talking by phone has been lovely, but I’ve missed seeing your face.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” She responded as you picked up your bag. “How was the drive? Are you hungry, thirsty? I have some food in the kitchen though, to be honest, I’ve been eating at Grillby’s more than I should lately. Cooking just seems like such a hassle.” There was a bit of sheepishness in her tone.

Eating at Grillby’s? Oh, nice, how convenient that she lived next to a restaurant. You grinned. “The drive was alright. Traffic thinned out once I got out of the city, flew by on the way here. I’m fine, I stopped off at some diner for take-out on my way up.” You smiled. “So Grillby’s stays open late, huh? Good to know in case I get the munchies.”

Emilie smiled. “Only until two in the morning. He’s had to follow the same rules and all around here, being a bar.” When you paused in your step to stare at her, she added laughingly, “I only eat there, I don’t drink! Although he _does_ make a great chai tea latte!”

A bar. Grillby’s was a bar. You wondered what he looked like, what his patrons looked like. “I’ll have to hit him up for some Irish coffee then.” You half-jest. “So how have you been? I mean, besides the obvious.” You set your bag next to the couch and went to sit on it. Emilie took the loveseat not too far from it. The lamp next to the window made your reflection that much stronger, hiding anything outside from your view. It barely crossed your mind, the idea that someone might look up and see you so clearly form below.

Emilie leaned back on some pillows on the loveseat, propped up. She sighed, not in a sorrowful manner, but a tired, semi-content manner. “I’m alright. I tried to ignore it for the past couple of weeks, but the cold has made my bones ache. I’m assuming it’s because of the pregnancy. I’ve had to close the shop a few days because of it. Oh, but don’t worry, Sans and Papyrus have checked in with me every day to help around. The heater went out a few times over night, but then Grillby fixed it. I’m not sure what he did, but whatever it was, it’s been fine since.”

Grillby and Sans. Well, they were unique names, definitely different than ‘Greater Dog’. And for some reason, their names…stuck to your mind. You offered a sympathetic look while guilt colored your voice. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get here sooner to visit or help.”

Before you could continue, Emilie waved her hand at you as if to rid your words from hanging in the air. “Don’t worry about it, seriously. I have full faith that you would have been here sooner if I had asked sooner. I just didn’t want to ask for help, not until Sans talked to me about it.”

 “Sounds like you’ve been in good hands.” Of course she had. She wouldn’t have stuck around here for so long if she hadn’t had some good friends here, made some friends here.

Emilie nodded with a grin. “Yup! They’re really friendly, the monsters. All of them are. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so welcomed somewhere before.” Just then, a yawn left your lips. She snickered quietly. “You’ve had a long day, traveling and all. Why don’t we catch up over breakfast? I’ll tell you all about Sans and Grillby then. Oh, and Papyrus and Undyne and Frisk and…”

“Yeah, they’re definitely not from the surface with those names.” You commented as Emilie stood with a grunt.

“You’ve got a pretty unique name yourself.” She pointed out with a tease.

“Yeah, yeah,” you shared the grin, recalling the name-calling in school. Oh all the rhythms and taunts.

Emilie nodded to the hallway. “The bathroom is the first door on the left. My rooms at the end there. There are more blankets and pillows in the linen closet to the right. You need anything?”

You crouched next to your bag and unzipped it, grabbing for your toiletries and pajamas. “I’m good.” You assured her. “Seriously.”

“Alright,” she gave a small yawn herself with a chuckle at the end, “then sweet dreams.” She didn’t catch how you paused briefly while standing at that.

“Night.” You responded. “Pleasant dreams, Em.” Once she was in her room, you slipped into the bathroom to brush your teeth and change. It wasn’t a bad place. Hell, it was bigger than your studio apartment. A bit aged since the buildings were build decades ago, but not bad.

You turned off the bathroom light and headed towards the couch. You’d sleep on it for now – admittedly, it _did_ look pretty comfy – and then when Em left, she insisted, you would take over her bed. You ran a hand over your face before you went to the lamp next to the window. Would you have sweet dreams tonight? Or would you dream of fierce blues, oranges, and reds like before?

After you turned off the lamp, your eyes adjusted to the total darkness. As they did, you glanced out the window and for reasons you were unsure of, your eyes went towards the ground instead of up at the sky. You swore you saw a…a skeleton down below, but then you blinked and…nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Silence is golden. Words are vibrations. Thoughts are magic.” – Night Vale.

_There was fire, but you weren’t hurt. You thought you should be scared, that you should be trying to step away…but you weren’t. You were perfectly calm. You stood still and watched the fire grow. It consumed everything around you. It came closer to you, directly at you with a purpose, from the side. You didn’t flinch. And then it was next to you, reaching out to you, to touch…_

Your eyes opened. It was bright wherever you were. There was sunlight streaming into the room through the three windows. Since when did you have three windows in your little apartment? And since why did you have such a comfortable bed?

It took a moment of processing to remember where you were and why. You weren’t in your studio apartment. You were at Emilie’s new place on her couch. You were in Monster Town.

Your limbs felt a bit heavy as you moved them. You were _definitely_ feeling that long ride from last night, your limbs stiff and sore. Who knew six hours in a car did that to a person? You rubbed your eyes and pushed yourself up on the couch. It was quiet. In fact, you realized incredibly late, it had been quite last night too, despite the bar next door.

You stood and ran a hand through your hair, wincing at a few tangles. A hot shower sounded lovely, it would feel even better on your tense muscles. The last thing you wanted to do, however, was wake Emilie. You weren’t sure how loud the plumbing was in this old building. The same went for messing around in the kitchen which…judging by the layout, was downstairs. Did the stairs creak on your way up last night? You couldn’t remember. The idea of coffee was tempting, but then you remembered Emilie rarely drank the stuff. Maybe she had some tea stashed somewhere. You were tempted to go make a cup and then sit on the balcony, enjoying the cold, crisp air until your hostess and friend woke. Maybe you’d be able to people…er, monster-watch too from up here. You hadn’t seen any outside of television or newspapers so you were curious. Needless to say that Emilie had nothing but great things to say about the folks with odd names. How bad could they be?

You noticed when you put your feet on the ground that…it was fairly warm. That was weird. You stepped toward the window, expecting the cold breeze to sneak in through the slips of the glass. It _was_ an old building, after all. Such things happened, insulation sucked over the years. But…nothing. You could only feel the temperature difference between inside and out when you put your hand against the window, leaving a very distinct handprint.

How strange.

Well, no matter. Hot tea still sounded great even if it was fairly warm in this place. You peeked down the hall to see Emilie’s bedroom door still shut. While you had fallen asleep within minutes of resting your head on the pillow, you wondered if her baby had kept her awake after you said good night.

Her baby…you shook your head as you started down the stairs. You wondered how the past few months must have been like for her. To be widowed and pregnant, living in a strange town with strange folks, all alone. There was a reason why you and Em had gotten along so well in high school and onward. She had nerve and guts. You respected that.

You thought it would be good to have a look around the shop that you’d be running for the next few months. Later though, you thought. You were admittedly far more curious about the monsters outside. So you filled a mug with water and stuck it in the microwave, not patient enough to handle a kettle on the stove. Just before the machine started to beep after a minute, you opened the door and pulled out the hot cup of water. You opened a few cabinets, mostly empty or with miscellaneous things, until you found a few bags of various black tea. You stuck one in and stepped over to the door. It was the ‘back’ door, the one that would lead into the alley behind the building and, likely, next to Grillby’s. It was unlocked.

Damn, you thought, either Emilie’s brain skipped in safety or this place really was that safe. What an odd concept, to leave your door unlocked. That shit didn’t fly in the city. But then, this was a town…and a Monster Town at that. They were under scrutiny even after so many months of being announced. Should something happen, particularly to a human, a pregnant human, you were certain the government would step in. How many other humans lived here? You could count on both hands.

Still, you weren’t used to this sort of life. You stepped forward as your tea cooled and locked the door. Satisfied, you started to open the fridge to see what food there was to cook. You’d surprise Em with breakfast – you had improved in your years since high school sleep overs – before she showed you how to handle the business. She was going to be leaving in the next day or two. There was so much to do.

And the first thing, you decided after you shut the freezer and went to open a few cabinets, was to grocery shop. Why? Because there was literally no food in the place. You wondered just how much she had gone to this Grillby’s place for food. You shook your head and picked up your warm tea, heading back upstairs.

The stairs were definitely going to be decent cardio. Not like the city where you walked nearly everywhere because parking was a bitch, but it would at least help. When you got to the top of the staircase, you jumped and nearly dropped your cup. “Em!” You hissed, startled at the sight of the pregnant woman.

In the daylight, Emilie was still pale, but she looked healthy. Her hair was in a loose ponytail and she was bundled up to go outside. She, too, jumped. “You startled me!”

You gave a weak laugh. “Yeah, no shit. I thought you were still asleep!”

“Nah,” she smiled, “I thought you might be asleep still so I was trying to be quiet. I was going to run over to Grillby’s to get us food, but since you’re up, would you like to go with me? I can introduce you to him – and maybe Sans if he’s there.” She paused to look over at a clock on the wall, “He should be on his first break from the hot dog stand.”

You stared for a moment, trying to process the last phrase. A break from…the hot dog…stand? Okay. Never mind that it was…pretty cool outside. And, you know, it was like, not even nine in the morning…but okay. Must be a monster thing. “Yeah, I saw your lack of options in the kitchen.” Em had the decency to look embarrassed. “You really have been living off of this…Grillby place, haven’t you?” There was something sad in that, but you chose to focus on the humor.

Em did too, thankfully. “For longer than I care to admit…but he’s a great cook!”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” You set aside your tea on the table next to the couch. “I’ll get dressed then.” You would heat up the tea later. Somehow, you knew you’d need it.

~

“I have to warn you,” Emilie said as she paused at Grillby’s door, looking back at you, “the monsters…they may look weird, but they’re really, completely nice.” Her blue eyes pierced yours, communicating more in her tone and look than she could with words.

It hadn’t taken long at all for you to switch into a short-sleeved green shirt, blue jeans, and boots. You threw your hair up into a simple ponytail for the time being before you were ready to head out. And even at this early hour, you didn’t see any monsters outside on the street. Then again, you were just going next door so how likely was it to see a monster when you were going to spend, like, forty seconds outdoors?

You offered a small smile. While you thought you were prepared, you also were aware that…well, you hadn’t actually seen one beyond on the television screen. “Even if they weren’t nice by nature, I’m sure you’d have charmed them into being sweet as sugar by now.” You half-joke. “Now come on, let’s go in – I’m starved!”

Em hesitated for another moment longer before she nodded. You wondered, as she opened the door, how _she_ had reacted to seeing the monsters up close for the first time. Better yet, how did the monsters react to her the first time? Apparently now, this Grillby and Sans guys were best buddies or something. Hadn’t she said that Grillby had fixed her heater? You wondered if they were going to miss her for the next few months. You wondered, as you stepped into the startlingly warm building, if the monsters would like you.

And if they didn’t? What would happen then?

Before you could contemplate this, you heard Emilie’s name be called out by a couple of voices. You looked around and stopped walking, astonished not only at the few people there who seemed to know your friend…but what they _looked like_. There was a horse with green hair and sunglasses, a dog with some sort of Zorro eye-cover, and…and _fire_. There were a couple other folks, but your attention was pretty much stuck on the fire once you saw it.

The _fire_ was holding a glass. No, it was…it as wiping the glass with a white cloth, round and round. It was _moving_ and, holy shit, _it was wearing a tux vest and bowtie._ And…and were those…were those glasses on its…head?! It had a head. Holy shit, it had a head.

Your lips part in surprise, not that you realized, and you found that you had stopped moving so the fire remained where it was, not stepping forward anymore. Emilie doubled back after realizing your reaction and took your arm. She muttered your name with a look of concern and amusement. “Still with me?”

“Yeah, of course, always.” You snapped out of it and blinked. Nope, the fire was still there. And…and…it was weird, but it felt like…it was… _looking_ at you. When Em tugged on your arm, you followed her on autopilot. She led you closer to the fire, closer, and closer…but you weren’t scared. It felt familiar – had you dreamt it? – but you weren’t frightened. You were curious.

And when you smelt bacon, you were absolutely starved.

When you two had gotten to the bar – yes, a bar with stools, never mind that Em was five months – the fire had moved. It set aside the glass it was cleaning and placed a plate of eggs, bacon, toast, and fruit before what seemed to be Em’s common seat. You sat next to her with a slowness, unsure of the scene before you, and listened to Em’s exclamation.

“Grillby, you know me too well!” Wait _that_ was Grillby? _That_ was the owner of this bar, the name of this place? “Thank you. Although I guess I _am_ a bit predictable at this point. Oh, Grillby, I’d like you to meet my friend. She’s the one that will keep watch over my store for the next few months. This is…”

Around that point, you tuned out the conversation. You had felt the fire’s gaze become…scrutinizing, and if made you uneasy. Not uneasy, but…uncomfortable. You could feel your face warm up and you had to fight to keep from shrinking in your seat. How could fire look at you? Then again, how could fire being doing what it did? It seemed to tilt its head, although how you knew that, you weren’t sure.

You jumped about a foot high when Em nudged your side. With your heart beating sporadically, you shot a glare at her, irritated more at yourself for being startled than anything. She held her hands up in apology. “You alright? You were zoning out pretty hard. I was saying that Grillby wants to know what you’d like to eat. He’s an amazing cook!”

“Uh.” You could feel your face get hotter, if even possible. That was a great first impress. Staring open mouthed and uttering a single syllable. Clearing your throat, you tried again. “Uh…same what Em has.” The fire nodded and turned away to leave into the back momentarily.

With that bit of privacy, you turned to Em, who was already stabbing at the scrambled eggs. “Em!” You hissed. “What the hell?! It’s a fire monster!” You were both astonished and excited.

Em lowered the fork of food from her lips before she took a bite. “He.” She corrected gently, understandingly. “And he is made of fire, but he’s as warm and as gentle as can be.” She took a bite of her food.

You blink. _He_. “How can you tell? I mean, that he’s a he?”

“Hm…I think Sans told me. Or maybe I just…picked up on it, ya know?” She said after swallowing a bite. “Grillby doesn’t talk. Like, ever. He doesn’t say a word. But he listens really well. He notices things, patterns and preferences and stuff. He’s very thoughtful – and he is _so_ warm. I hang out here a lot with Sans. He’ll visit the bookstore on occasion. In fact, the other day, he came in and noticed it was cold in the building so he worked his magic and, boom, all warm. Him and Sans sealed up the place so the wind couldn’t get in.”

 _That_ was why you couldn’t feel the cold air through the window edge! You spun slightly on your chair to face her. “Wait, _magic_. Like…magic-magic. Like, fucking, wave your wand and boom, bippity-boppity-bam?”

Em coverd her mouth with her hand as she laughed. “I’ve missed you!” She declared suddenly. The sincerity and abruptness of the statement made your heart ache. You should have visited sooner, you had missed her too. But you were here now and that mattered…even if she would be leaving soon. “I haven’t seen any wands yet, but yeah, bippity-boppity-bam magic. Actually, I don’t think they even have to say anything. They just…do it and…it happens. It’s pretty cool actually. I’m sure Sans will show off.” She took a bite of bacon.

You opened your mouth to speak when the _clink_ of a plate being set down caught your attention. You blinked and looked down, spying the eggs over easy, bacon, toast, and sliced up apple. Your stomach growled, making your face, which had cooled only moments ago, heat up again. You looked up at the fire – at Grillby – and marveled at how swift he was. “Thanks.” You went to pick up a fork that he had set down simultaneously.

He nodded, this fire monster, with his glasses reflecting your look of surprise in them. He turned away and poured what you assumed to be apple juice into a glass before placing it before Em. “Thanks Grillby.” She said with a grin. “This is delicious.”

You were hungry, but you were still a bit…uncomfortable to eat, no matter how delicious it smelled or, according to Em, tasted. You were startled, then, when Grillby turned back to you, his glasses directly facing you. He gestured to the line of clean glasses that he had probably been working on since last night. Which, speaking of time, it was only, like, nine in the morning. They closed at two. He had clearly been up and open before they came in. Did monsters, did fire monsters, sleep at all?

“Oh! What do I want to drink?” That should have been obvious. You were so awkward. You were such an idiot. “Uh…” and the one-syllable responses weren’t helping, “…how about apple juice as well.” Because you had no idea what he had. You wanted something with booze in it, but it was too early, even if it would help mellow you out with staring at a…fire monster.

He nodded poured, setting the drink before you. Then, probably sensing how you felt, he went down the way to give you and Em privacy. You picked up a piece of bacon and took a bite, noting how your mouth watered. It wasn’t until Em said your name with a hint of exasperation that you realized you had been staring at Grillby all the way away.

“Sorry, what?” You turned, seeing Emilie snickering.

“I told you to prepare yourself.” She teased. “They may look odd, but they’re all sweet. Seriously.”

“I haven’t thought otherwise yet.” It was true, you hadn’t. You were just…adjusting. After all, you never knew fire had a gender before. Or, for that matter, could…wear a tux and…all. Actually, the more you stared at him – yes, you were staring at him still despite having turned your head briefly at Em – the more you…liked that outfit on it. Him. Him. He. Grillby. “So…he’s a…fire monster…who doesn’t talk.” You turned back to Em, taking a bite of your eggs next. She nodded. “But he owns a bar and is a bartender. And he can do magic.” She nodded again. “Okay. I think I’ve adjusted to that then. Who’s next?”

Em took a sip of her drink before smiling wide at you. “It may be Sans, it may be Undyne, it may be Papyrus – or it might be all three at once.” Pause. “I wouldn’t blame you if you got overwhelmed if that happened. Pap on his own is a bundle of energy.”

You managed to keep your eyes on Em now. “Okay so, describe these other monsters then. Who are they? What do they look like?”

Em nibbled on an apple slice. “Well…Undyne is a fish-monster. She’s…she’s…kind of like the extreme version of you.” You nearly choked on your food. “She’s intense. And she’s loud, but she’s an amazing fighter. She used to be a guard – she still is, I think. She’s also a total nerd. So is Alphys though, so it works out well.”

“Okay, wait,” you tore apart the slice of bread, speaking before eating it, “which part of that description is supposed to be like me?!”

Em smiled wide. “If you have to ask…” There was a definite tease in her voice. She took another bite and then continued, “Alphys is a scientist, she’s…a lizard-monster, I guess. Nervous, _very_ shy, but she’s intelligent. She’s a huge nerd too, loves anime. She’s definitely a favorite in the shop when we get new volumes in.”

“Wait, they had anime Underground?” You blinked. Actually, did anyone know much about the Underground? The newspapers and television shows had never really talked about life there. They were more focused on scaring the public. Plus, come to think of it, you couldn’t recall a single interview with a monster. Hm…perhaps that would be something to put on your list.

“Mhm.” She smiled and ate a bit more before continuing, “They had a version of Christmas down there. Apparently there’s one place, Snowdin, that was always full of snow. And Hotlands and the Waterfalls and…”

“ _Underground_?” You were skeptical.

“Magic.” Em held up a finger as though in lecture and responded almost smartly. You rolled your eyes. “But yeah. I’ll let Sans tell you more about that. But they had some similar stuff down here as we do here. Let’s see…Papyrus is Sans’ younger brother. He’s loud – very loud – but he’s totally good-natured. He’s an absolute sweetie even if it can be a bit…much at times. Awkward, maybe, but…he reminds me of a kid. Very loyal and protective though.” Your stomach churned a little – was there an incident that happened?

Em didn’t notice your pause, fork mid-way to your mouth. “Sans…” she set down her remaining bit of toast and looked at the dozens of bottles at the wall before her. “Sans is interesting. He’s…oh, he’s an absolute punster. Prankster, puns, jokes. But he’s also incredibly smart. I’ve caught him look at the quantum physics books before – the ones that never seem to sell.” She chuckled softly. “He’s got a good heart though.”

You wondered what that look was on her face. Suddenly you wondered what her life had been like the past few months here. You wanted to ask. You wanted to know. Just as you opened your mouth to ask, a flash of orange from the corner of your eye caught your attention. You turned and jumped a bit in your seat, absolutely embarrassed that the fire monster – that Grillby – had startled you. He didn’t seem bothered by this though. He gestured to your plate in question.

“Oh,” you nodded, “guess I ate quicker than I realized. Yeah, I’m done. Uh, thank you. It was delicious.” You watched as he picked up both your plate and Em’s. He gave a nod and slipped away to the back. When he was gone – yes, you had been watching him the entire time – you blinked and turned back to Em. She was smirking. “What?”

“Nothing,” she said smoothly as Grillby made a silent return, “I was thinking, I don’t think I’ve seen you so easily startled since we visited that Thirteen Floor haunted house back in…what was it, Sophomore year?”

The mention of an event so many years ago caught you attention. It jogged your memory quickly and suddenly you were flooded with it. A laugh escaped you, ringing out far louder than you expected to in the fairly empty bar. “Oh gods, yeah, shit, I nearly forgot about that! What was it, Freddy ran after me with his damn claws, Sweeney Todd and his razor chased you…”

“And some creep in a chainsaw jumped out at us right at the end. I fell down and you nearly ran into the wall trying to get away.” Em added on, joining you in your laughter. Soon the two of you were cracking up, tears at the corner of your eyes.

“It took me a solid week to calm the hell down after that!” You tacked on, pressing a hand against your aching side. “My parents were pissed because the electricity bill that month was so high due to all of the lights I kept on while I slept. Oh, that was a great haunted house though.”

“The absolute best.” She agreed, calming down gradually. “I don’t think I could stomach one again though.”

“Well yeah, no shit, you’re pregnant.” The statement was so matter-of-fact with a touch of sass. Perhaps it was due to that and to your recent laughter, but you both were sent into another barrel of laughter.

Eventually you both calmed down. Em sighed contently before shaking her head. “Alright well. Ready to learn about the store?” When you nodded, she stood carefully and waved at Grillby. “See you at lunch, Grillbz.”

You looked over at the fire monster and blinked. “Wait, how much do we owe you?”

When Grillby shook his head, Em explained, “It’s a tab. I pay it at the end of the week. Come on. Actually, we should probably also go grocery shopping since, you know, you’ll be living here now.”

“I can pay for…” Em took your arm and started to lead you away. You glanced over your shoulder back at the source of light and warmth in the bar. It occurred to you then, reminded of how few people were there at this time, that Grillby must have heard every word you two spoke.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “With mirth and laughter, let old wrinkles come.” – William Shakespeare

            It was probably for the best that Emilie joined you in grocery shopping. There were more monsters there, more so than you’ve seen so far, and you lost count of the times where you’d stop and stare. Oh, it was totally rude and you knew it, but it still took a solid moment to bring yourself out of your awe or surprise and keep moving. For the most part, they didn’t seem to mind. In fact, they hardly even noticed you as they greeted Em.

            You returned to the bookstore/home an hour or so later with groceries for a week. While you had enjoyed the cool air, you noticed that Em, despite being bundled up pretty well, had been shivering as you two walked the couple blocks back home. It was probably for the best then that she was going south tomorrow, if the plan went accordingly so. A day wasn’t enough to make up for lost time, but you noticed that you both picked up right where you left off all those months ago with the ease and comfortableness.

            The bookstore was just as warm as when you left. It wasn’t as much so as Grillby’s, but then again, you didn’t have a fire monster hovering in the back. After groceries were put up, Em flipped the sign to ‘Open’ and started the tour of the place. There was the Non-Fiction to the left wall with a couple other shelves, Fiction in the middle of the store, an art/science combo, anime to the right wall, religion to the right back corner, poetry next to the register, and jokes and mystery sections before the register. The kitchen was in the back left corner while the staircase was smack in the middle of the back area. It was pretty clear cut. Not as vast as a major chain store, but there was definitely selection in here, with the major themes broken into smaller ones within their sections.

            It didn’t take long to learn about the inventory system, how to order new books, how to balance the checkbook or the budget, how to mark sales, and so forth. This wasn’t your first rodeo, after all. Just a bit after noon, you two had gotten off topic and started to gossip about old friends.

            Em looked over at a clock and looked surprised. “Wow, the morning flew by.”

            “I’ll say.” You remarked as you glanced over at the clock as well. “You…want to go back to Grillby’s?”

            “Do you?”

            “I think I’m good for now. But it looked like he cooks for you in anticipation of.” You point out as neutrally as you can.

            But Em knew you. She rolled her eyes. “I told you, he’s an absolute sweetheart. Nothing else. But you have a point. Well, let me tell him we’re going to skip lunch. Or, that you’re skipping. I’ll get something to go and come back here. We can keep chitchatting.” She smiled eagerly at the idea.

            “Sounds good. I’ll browse the books.” Once Em had her jacket on for the few yard walk, you started to peruse the shelves. You started in the back near the poetry section, your back to the joke books. Why Em had thought it good to order such a vast selection of joke books, you hadn’t the faintest idea.

            You skimmed over a few of the poetry books. There were classics and there were modern names, most of which you recognize, and a few you didn’t. You pulled the ones you didn’t know already – ‘Split’ by Cathy Linh Che. As you flipped to a random page, you shifted your weight to your other foot. The first poem you read made your heart ache. This was definitely more than just the typical ‘roses and red’ sort of poetry book.

            Just as you were about to get serious about reading it, however, there was a distinct shift behind you. Your immediate thought was that a book had somehow fallen, perhaps a book you hadn’t put back into place properly – although you hadn’t touched any. Your second thought was that the bell above the front door hadn’t made a sound, so at least there was no customer behind you. Your third logical thought was that of a rodent making the noise.

            So you didn’t turn around. Not immediately at least. You flipped one more page, getting only to the fifth word before you heard a voice behind you speak. “human. turn around…”

            Your skin prickled with fear as your heart stopped. Your limbs felt like ice. A voice. A _voice_. Someone, _someone_ , was in the store, _right…behind…you._ The voice was deep, almost gravely, and definitely male. Was this how you died? Wait, he said ‘human’…so was this…a monster? But…how did they get in without you hearing?! Hadn’t you locked the backdoor? The bell at the front hadn’t made a sound!

            A sharp exhale left your lips, a sign of your fear. “…and shake my hand.”

            You…you weren’t sure what to say…or do for a moment. All you could do was keep a suddenly numb grasp on the book you held and breathe. Em. Where was Emilie? How did this guy get in? Fuck, it was a _guy_. And he wanted you to…

            You wished you could say that you spun around and threw a fist at this fucker. You really wished you had. Instead, you found yourself obeying him slowly, like a glacier. When you turned the full 180 degrees, book still in hand, you gaped with your jaw hanging. Before you stood a…a…a _skeleton_ …about your…your size. But he was…it was…a skeleton. It had…a huge grin and wore a blue sweater…and in what should have been empty sockets, it had…bright, tiny lights…for eyes.

            _Before you stood Death in a blue jacket._

            It, he, moved his hand and your heart plummeted. With something of a squeak, you shut your eyes and swung blindly. _Whack!_ Your arms stopped moving when the book in your hands came into contact with something. It was solid and, for the moment, hadn’t moved.

            You hesitantly opened your eyes. The slow action just contrasted how rapidly your heart was still beating. The book you had been holding was shut down and it rested against the skeleton’s head, which had turned slightly to the side from your thwack. He hadn’t moved either, standing with one hand in his pocket and the other half-way out with something in it. You couldn’t see those white prickling lights from his eyes with the book angled this way.

            But he was definitely solid and real. And you had just hit him. You were still, technically speaking, hitting him. Your breathing remained unsteady as you stared, trying to make sense of the scene before you. A skeleton… _Death_ …you just hit a skeleton who had somehow…snuck in…with you noticing. And of course you hadn’t noticed, you hadn’t been pulled into that book that you had…turned into a weapon – you would have heard him enter the building, but you didn’t. That meant he was going to…to…

            Before either of you could do anything else, there was the _ding_ of the front door bell. “Told you you’d fit right in – Grillby had a second plate ready for you too. Don’t worry, I had him box it up for later when…you’re…” It was Emilie! She had started to talk the moment she opened the door, no doubt having expected you to be browsing the books or in the kitchen nearby. She clearly had no idea of the situation you were actually in. So when she came around the shelves and saw you with a makeshift weapon against a skeleton’s skull…she paused, brows raised, bag in hand.

            Slowly, ever so slowly, she smiled. That smile, within moments, broke into a fit of giggles. “I see you’ve met Sans.” She managed to spit out in between snickers. “Sans, what did you do? That looks like it could be a… _splitting_ headache.”

            Ever so slowly, the ice in your limbs thawed. You were able to let your arms drop, the book move from the monster’s skull. He was still grinning – did he ever stop, _could_ he ever stop? He turned to look at you and you took half a step back, still high strung. Your heart was slowing to a calmer pace, but your breathing was still a bit short. His eyes just made your skin crawl. There shouldn’t _be_ anything in the empty eye sockets. It should just be darkness, yet somehow the fact that there wasn’t seemed creepier than…not.

            Sans’ shoulders shook as he chuckled lightly. That same voice – the deep, almost gravelly sort – rang out, “i think you’re _splitting hairs_ , Em. i didn’t _meet_ your friend, she _beat_ me.” You were way too far gone and disoriented to appreciate any of the puns they were making in relation to the book title or otherwise. For now, at least – later, you’d find the whole situation hilarious. For now? You were looking between the two with a confused gaze.

            When you finally found your voice, Em had set the bag of Grillby’s to-go meals on the register counter. “ _This_ is Sans?! You never said he was…was…”

            “A skele-ton of fun and surprises?” Em finished a bit dryly. You waved your hands wildly towards the monster, gesturing. “I thought I did mention that he was a skeleton. Sorry.”

            Sans’ eyes dimmed in their light a bit, but the smile remained the same. “didn’t mean to scare ya, kid. maybe I should take another _whack_ at it.” You caught the pun then, but you couldn’t laugh just yet. He held his hand out, not quite as swiftly as before. “nice to meet you.”

            You found that you were staring at the hand, processing that a _skeleton_ was talking and holding a hand out for you to shake. Yeah, you’d get used to this shit later, but for now, this was mind-blowing. Never mind that Sans was in fact Sans and not, you know, Death as you imagined, but this was still totally abnormal! Slowly, you held your hand out. Before you took his, however, you paused. “What’s in your hand?” It was the same item you had briefly noticed before.

            Head up and smile wide – well, smile unchanging – he shifted his hand to expose a whoopee cushion. “heh, guess you’re too sharp for me.” You weren’t sure if that was a jab or not.

            Emile shook her head. “He got me good the first time. And the fifth time we visited – in Grillby’s. Luckily everyone knows about his love for the cushion, so no one thought anything else.” She leaned against the counter as you did, but for a rather different reason. You were trying to feel your legs, she was trying to shift her weight. “Sans, this is my best friend, she’ll be taking over for the next few months. Be nice to her.”

            “i’ll keep an _eye_ on her.” He must have winked because one of his eyes went black for a second, the light gone for all of a moment. You shivered.

            Em must have caught on finally of how shaken you had been. “I’m glad to hear it Sans. Perhaps we can catch up at Grillby’s tonight? I leave tomorrow so…”

            “sounds like a plan, Em.” Sans turned his eyes to you and you knew immediately that it would take some time to adjust to. “sorry about the surprise, I tried to make some noise with my slipper but you seemed pretty into that book.” Noise? What noise, the shuffle? What happened to the bell? Surely he hadn’t somehow broke into the place while you and Em had been shopping, just to wait for you to be alone. If so…there were going to be some serious issues. And you were almost certain that you had locked the back door this morning. So if the bell hadn’t made a noise, then how…? “we’ll try again at Grillby’s – just try not to smack me with a plate this time, okay?”

            You nodded after a second. “Yeah.” You managed to speak at last. “Uh, yeah, sounds…yeah.” Absolutely stunning. Who would have ever guessed you were well-read?

            And just like that, the skeleton in a large blue jacket turned and shuffled off in his pink slippers. You blinked. Instead of taking a left towards the front door, he took a right – where the window and wall should have been. You stepped forward, about to tell him that he was going the wrong way…but he was gone!

            “How…?!” You spun around to face Em who gave you a sympathetic, knowing look.

            “Magic.” She supplied. “He calls them ‘shortcuts’. Generally speaking, though, he’s respectful about privacy. So he won’t ever, like, show up upstairs without permission. I just got him to start using the front door when I’m here – I’d rather not go into premature labor because of a trickster – but I guess he saw me at Grillby’s and thought now would be the perfect chance to scare you. Or meet you. Same difference.”

            “He’s a _skeleton_ who just… _appears out of nowhere_?!” You shook your head in disbelief. “I can’t…he doesn’t…and then…but he and…he likes puns.” Okay, the more you thought about it and the more time that passed, distancing between the fright and now, the more at ease you were. Actually, the more curious you were too. “Is his brother…Paper…?”

            “Papyrus.” Emilie laughed at your mistake. “And yeah, Papyrus is also a skeleton. I warned you before, didn’t I?”

            “I mean, probably, but there’s a _vast_ difference between saying there’s a pile of bones walking and actually having one sneak right up fucking behind you!” You could feel yourself relax once more, but perhaps a bit tired and weary from the fright.

            “What did he say to you anyway?” Emilie dug a box out of the bag and opened it. She took a pickle spear and munched on it.

            You felt only mildly embarrassed by it. “He said ‘human, turn around and shake my hand.’ I did half of that before I freaked and thought he was going to kill me and hit him instead.” You didn’t even bother to take a breath in all of that. Yes, you thought he was going to kill you. “I thought he was Death! I hadn’t known he was a magical shortcut finding guy, I didn’t know he was there, and he’s a damn skeleton with glowing eyes and a smile! Pardon me for not thinking straight.”

            Emilie chuckled as she took out a grape and munched on it from the box. “Well, he’s had worse, I’m sure. Don’t worry about it. If I know Sans, he’ll have gotten over it the second after it happened. I doubt you did much damage to that thick skull of his anyway. He’s a smart ass, but he’s totally chill. Not as sweet and warm as Grillby, but definitely kind in his own way. Protective.” She vouched for him in such a way that you couldn’t help but wonder what had happened the past few months. That and the ‘loyalty’ comment…

            “I’ll take your word,” you muttered. “I’ll try again at dinner tonight. I might need a few drinks in me first, but I’ll be the light of the party – actually, no, that’s Grillby. I guess I’ll be tolerable.”

            “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” Em teased before nodding at the box remaining in the bag. “Grillbz made you a BLT and some fruit. If you’re not hungry after having a brush with death,” oh, you saw how this was going to be, “then you can help me pack.”

            You shook your head with a small smile. “You’re absolutely hilarious.” You said dryly. “I guess I’ll eat some – just to see if your flaming bartender knows how to make a BLT properly.”

            “Extra crispy bacon. He’s like Calcifer.”

            You laugh a bit at this comparison. “But he cooks! So he can’t be like Calcifer.”

            Em joined you in laughter. “Alright, fine, you’re right. Plus, he’s waaaay too sweet to be a fire demon.” You pick up your box and follow Em to the kitchen. As you do, you open the box and glance down.

            There on the inside of the lid and saw in incredibly neat cursive ‘Red’.

            Red? Red…what? What was red? Who was…oh. _Oh_.

            You hated yourself, but you could feel your face warm up. Red…as in…blushing. The thing you did so much this morning before the monster of fire you had stared at. Grillby had separated your meal from Em’s and designated it by calling you…‘ _Red’_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day?! Yeah, talk about rare lol. Okay, things are going to start picking up now.  
> Coming up: We'll see more interaction with the Reader (or 'Red') and Grillby, some mingling with Sans...and then, I know, Em has to leave. All sorts of chaos and fun happens then. Eventually going to gradually intro the other folks...including a favorite scientist~
> 
> Also, I (poorly) sketched a layout for the bookstore:  
> https://strikeachordfanfiction.tumblr.com/post/167399364518/the-sloppy-layout-of-the-bookstore-in-my
> 
> Yes, we DO have a tumblr for this/Strike a Chord. Check us out!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “The shortest distance between two people is a story.” - Patti Digh

“It’s a wonder you haven’t gained twice your weight in eating Grillby’s food so frequently.” You remarked to Em without a pause. Both of you had been friends for so long that it was difficult to offend one another.

Em snorted softly as she finished zipping up her last suitcase. “Yeah, I’m pretty amazed too. But up until the first cold front, I had been pretty good at cooking my own meals. And even then, as you see, Grillbz keeps me on a decent diet.” She winked before she stood, wincing as she rubbed her lower back.

This was true though. Grillby’s food thus far had been far healthier than any bar food you had seen. There were still elements of it, of course, but Grillby seemed to be aware of a prenatal diet restrictions. Which, as you thought of this, you raised a brow. “So uh…how’d he learn to cook for you? I mean, your eating habits and all.”

Em responded without pause as she rolled her suitcase towards the staircase – you’d take it down for her later. “He came in after I mentioned I was pregnant and bought a book about pregnancy – the do’s, don’ts, and so forth. He finished it pretty quickly…just like he does most of his books.”

You weren’t sure which part you were more surprised at, that Grillby was an avid reader or that he had learned about human pregnancy just for Em. You decided the latter. “You’re really loved down here, aren’t you?” There was wonder in your words as well as a hint of teasing.

It was unexpectedly hilarious and surprising to see how much blood flooded your friend’s face. She looked absolutely shy, but was smiling. “Yeah…yeah, I guess I am.” As if she hadn’t realized it by now. “The monsters are…they’re great folks. I wish more people understood that.”

It eased some of your trepidation in staying here to know that. “Do they…I mean, what’s their process for having kids?” You were curious suddenly.

“I’m not sure actually,” Em confessed with a thoughtful look on her face, “I’ve never asked. I figure it’s something like us…there’s a few monster kids that run around here. There’s also Frisk, who was adopted by the Toriel, the Queen, but they’re human.”

You raised a brow. “Why is a human child adopted by a monster queen?” That sounded like either the greatest folklore ever or a strange joke.

Em started downstairs with you following. It was near dinnertime and after all the packing and cleaning, you found yourself not only hungry, but needing alcohol. “Frisk is the one who broke the barrier. They were supposed to be the ‘ambassador’, but there was talk that the humans were…paying a bit _too_ much attention to them. I’m not sure _why_ or _how_ Frisk came to be the one who broke the barrier, or why their family hasn’t come forth to claim them, but it is what it is. They’re happy and so are the Dreemurrs. It’s not as easy as just asking Frisk either, so let me beat you to that question – they’re mute.”

You paused at the last stair. A human child who was mute had fallen into Mt. Ebott, broke the barrier, lived with monsters, and had no human family to speak of? Alriiiiight, that was…interesting. Before you could comment, Em seemed to purposely change the topic. “Well, I daresay we had a productive day! Wanna go top it off by going to Grillby’s?”

“I’ll be sure to have a drink in your honor.” You teased with ease, willing to shift topic. As Em grabbed her coat, you followed suit and tried not to dwell on this Frisk-child. No, you had other things to obsess and worry about – like Grillby. ‘Red’. He called you ‘Red’. Why did your heart flutter so from that? And, more so, why were you looking in the mirror nearby to make sure your hair wasn’t as wild as it usually was? You didn’t smell, but it was easy to tell you had been working and cleaning all day. Maybe you should take a quick shower and change? Or just change clothes, even? No…no, if you did that, you knew Em wouldn’t let you live it down. Even now, you’d have to deal with her ‘Death’ teasing once Sans showed up. But to give her ammo to torment about wanting to look nice for the bar owner? Yeah, no.

Before long, you two braved the cold wind to make a quick trip to the next door building. Once you entered, warmth flooded your senses. Not only that, but the patrons there called out Emilie’s name. Again, you were surprised at how friendly they were here, and at how much they seemed to adore your best friend. Would you get to that level during your time here?

Em greeted a few individually, pausing to take some time in talking to them. She was, after all, going to be gone for a few months after tomorrow. So you patted her shoulder lightly before going to the bar, letting her have her conversations and privacy, even if they were, mostly, with some…dog monsters. Strange.

You sat in the chair you had taken that morning, next to Em’s chair, and looked up at the bartender who had made his way over. You tried to ignore the way your heart jumped to your throat or how – and you hated yourself so much for it – your face became quite hot and, undoubtedly, red. “Hey.” You greeted, feeling as though he could somehow tell that your heart was fluttering wildly. The man nodded in response to your greeting. Well, before you could stand another minute in this riveting back-and-forth, you knew you’d have to get some alcohol in you. “Can I get a…Moscow mule?” If he had bought a book about human pregnancy, you were pretty confident that he had a book on human bartending recipes somewhere here.

Grillby nodded and went to collect the things he would need. Ginger beer, vodka, lime, ice cubes – though how they could stand being so close to his warmth, you had no idea – and the signature copper mug. As he worked to make the drink, you noticed belatedly that he was wearing gloves. “So uh…” He didn’t pause or look up from his task when you started to talk. Good. “Thanks for lunch, by the way. You’re a fantastic cook.” It was true, he was.

There was a hint of blue that flashed across his face. You blinked, unsure if you had seen that correctly. Blue? Whatever could that mean? Blue, you knew, was a hotter fire, but why would the man of fire turn hotter in… _ooooooohhhhhhhh_. You smiled wide at this realization. _No. Way._

Placing your elbow on the counter, you leaned forward, chin in your palm. He placed the drink before you, but you hardly glanced at it. “That was fast…Blue.” If he was going to call you ‘Red’ because of your blush, it was only fitting for you to call him ‘Blue’ for _his_ blush. Which, to your great pleasure, only made the man turn a brighter blue.  

Feeling some of your signature self-confidence return, you giggled quietly and picked up the cold mug. You even offered him a wink before you took a sip, your eyes destroying the cool calm you had going on by widening. Though you swallowed the drink, you coughed softly. “Holy shit, Grillby, did you fill this thing with vodka and add only a splash of ginger beer?” You placed your fingertip in the drink and stirred it, hoping that might help. It was a good problem to have though, you decided. Placing your fingertip in your mouth, you licked off the traces of booze and grinned, feeling, more than seeing, his gaze on you.

Just as you raised the cold mug to your lips once more, you felt something else, something different. It was a being next to you. You spun around before the mixed liquid could meet your lips, your attention sharp on the new thing that had popped up.

Next to you in a bar stool sat – the skeleton, Sans.

His pinpricks of light stared up at you, that smile was fixed firmly on his face. “hey Slugger.”

You twitched. Thankfully, you hadn’t sipped any of the drink or it may very well have been spewed out just then. ‘Slugger’. Em had said this guy was funny, but this was just…well, this was Em-level of teasing. “Careful or I’ll live up to my name.” You threatened without much pause. It was odd, but just that alone made it feel like…you knew him. Not knew him, knew him, but like you had met him more than once, like you had talked to him before. Any politeness you had went out the door for that initial response – and you hadn’t even had any real alcohol.

“wouldn’t want that, would we? poor books don’t have the _spine_ for it.” There was definitely teasing in his voice. You snorted. “Grillbz, my usual.” He told the fire monster.

When Grillby smoothly placed a bottle of ketchup before the skeleton, you blinked. There was no way you were seeing and processing that correctly. That _was_ a bottle of ketchup, right? Sans picked up the item with his boney hand and raised it so. “cheers.”

Before you could do much more than blink, Sans held the bottle of ketchup against his…did skeletons have lips?...and he…‘drank’ it. You weren’t sure how this was working on a physical level, but you stared openly trying to figure it out. “what, something on my face?” Sans asked cheekily.

You blinked twice before shaking your head. “No…and that’s exactly what’s puzzling.” You turned your body back to the bar before taking a drink of your beverage. When you did, you noticed, once again, that Grillby was staring at you. _That_ nearly made you spit your drink. The fire monster made a motion with his hands, but you weren’t quite sure what he was saying.

            “He’s asking you what you want to eat.” Em’s voice rang out in time for a rescue as she waddled over to her seat. “Hey, Sans, I wondered why you looked weird. You’re not in your usual spot!”

            “someone _beat_ me to it.”

This provoked a sharp laugh from Emilie, but a delayed reaction from you. “Huh? I’m in your seat?” Oh, was this where he usually sat? You supposed that this right here was more evidence, more curiosity, for how close Sans had gotten to Em. You weren’t sure whether to feel protective of her or to provoke a blush from the woman. You opted for neither. “Are you ever going to let that joke go?” You felt mildly embarrassed about it now.

Thankfully, Em knew not to comment on the ‘Death’ part of the impression you had told her. “you’ll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands.” Sans jested as if he knew. You barely resisted shooting a glare at Em. “don’t even worry about it, Slugger, the view of the bar is just as nice from here.”

“But you aren’t facing out to see.” You pointed out.

His gaze met yours from a sideways glance. “i’m facing the bar, aren’t I?”

You shook your head, a small grin on your lips. Em spoke up then as Grillby placed a simple drink of what you assumed to be milk, “Got any soup on tonight, Grillbz?”

The man nodded and turned to you, still waiting on your answer. “Oh. Er.” You paused, thinking. “Same as Em.” You shrugged. Might as well make it easy for him.

Grillby nodded once more before he turned and went to a door nearby. That left just you, Sans, and Em. You felt exceedingly…awkward being in the middle like this. You took another sip – this time it wasn’t just a mouthful of vodka. “Are you gonna come visit, Sans?” Em asked as she turned towards you both, leaning against the bar as you leaned away so she might see the grinning man.

“’course I will,” the monster’s gaze landed on her, “who else is gonna tickle your funny bone like I do?”

“A laughing mother makes a happy baby.” Em said half-jokingly as she sipped her milk. “I’m going to miss this place.” She added, “And the monsters in it.”

“they’re gonna miss you too.” You wondered if Em heard that soft musing that Sans had uttered, given the distance and the soft murmurings of the people behind you. Before you could turn to glance up at Em, to see her reaction, Sans raised his voice a bit. “so what’s your story, Slugger? why come all the way over here to look over a bookstore? i mean, besides helping Em out.”

Even without glancing, you could feel Em’s eyes on you. You tried your best to keep grinning, to look casual although you felt nothing of the sort. “What, helping out my best and longest friend isn’t enough reason to leave the city?”

“You don’t have to…” Emilie started to say softly, so much so that you were more focused briefly on her words than on the sound of the door opening that signaled Grillby’s return.

“No, it’s okay.” You quickly reassured her although you couldn’t quite bring yourself to look her in the eye. Keeping turned towards Sans, you held onto the cold copper mug and shrugged. “My boyfriend-at-the-time and I worked at the same publishing company. I was there for…hell, several years. Anyway, a few months ago,” right after Em’s husband died, in fact, “I caught him fucking the new Vice President. I uh…reacted in a way that I shouldn’t have and got fired for it. And then promptly lost my apartment since, you know, money needs to be flowing into my pocket in order to leave for the place. And after I moved around some more, did some editing jobs and stuff, I, uh…well, here I am.”

That was why you hadn’t been able to help Em move. That was why you hadn’t been able to do much for Em immediately after her husband’s passing. You could hardly hold your own nose above the water, let alone offer a lifeline to your friend. It still shamed you despite her reassurances.

But that wasn’t the only reason you decided to come and help Em out at last. It wasn’t just your lack of a job or housing situation that made you want to come to Monster Town. This was something you hadn’t told Em and you certainly wouldn’t bring up now, but there was another reason. You felt like…you _had_ to come. You needed to come here. You weren’t entirely sure why, but it had been a…a gut instinct, a calling.

Nevertheless, you turned slightly and downed a large gulp of the drink. It was then that you realized Grillby had returned, probably for a while. The light he offered was distinct and, as your other senses were brought into the present, the scent of the food he carried made hunger win over any embarrassment. Any intent you had to be strong and act casual about your recent woes was gone, replaced with hunger.

“Mmm, that smells delicious!” You blurted out as Grillby placed a plate before you and one before Em. They were twin images of grilled cheese and tomato soup. You looked up to see Grillby, once more a soft blush, bowing at the compliment.

Emilie seemed to pick up on your change of subject and smiled. “It really does, Grillbz. The tomatoes were fresh, huh? I can te-…” She blinked as she picked up a spoon. “Grillby, you’re…blue.” It seemed that Em hadn’t realized what his blue light meant – and, more so, it meant that he had never blushed before her.

You picked up a triangle of grilled cheese and took a large bite, savoring it. That was when Sans decided to talk, still teasing, but with a gentleness to his tone. “sorry to hear about the guy, but at least here you won’t be… _bonely._ ”

You chuckled after swallowing the food. “Yeah, I get that feeling too.” It was true though. Turning from Sans, you nodded to Grillby. “This is great!  Wait, wait,” you had a stroke of brilliance, “is this… _muenster_ cheese?”

Sans set his ketchup bottle down with a loud _clink_ against the bar, his body shaking in such a way that suggested he was chuckling quietly. Em had nearly choked on her first sip of soup, laughing in between. Grillby, however, placed a gloved hand against his forehead.

Oh, yeah. You were _definitely_ going to like it here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, don't forget to check out my (semi-darker) story, "Human Soul Gold, Fortitude"!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “I can’t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.” – Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland.

            _Blue. Something blue was wrapped around your waist, not unpleasantly so, but tight – it reminded you faintly of a corset. Your feet weren’t touching the floor, but you didn’t feel frightened. Rather, you…you felt…amused. Suddenly you were flying, the blue haze around you moving you through the air. Laughter bubbled up in your chest as you held your arms out. Higher and higher you went, but you never felt a flicker of fear._

_You heard your name be called once…twice…three times…_

            You blinked. The memory of the blue, sparkling haze faded from your memory, but the feeling of lightness and laughter remained. Rubbing your eyes, you yawned and looked around. “Em?” From the growing light of the dawn sneaking into the window, you could see your friend at the foot of the couch. “What’s up? Water broke?”

            Emilie rolled her eyes. She was dressed to go outside rather than in her pajamas. “No, silly goose. It’s time for me to go. I thought you set your alarm?”

            _That_ woke you up. Sitting up, you let the blanket fall to your waist. “Shit, I thought I did too…guess the drinks at Grillby’s hit me harder than I thought.” That lightness you had felt from your dream immediately sank when you realized that Em was _leaving_. “Aw Em. Are you sure? I mean, I’m sure Grillby wouldn’t mind sticking close and keeping you warm til you pop out the kiddo.”

            Em laughed softly. There was reluctance in her tone. “It’s awfully tempting…and I’m pretty sure he would too. But I have to go head out. I haven’t really spoken much to my family since I moved out here. I know my mom and mom-in-law want to fuss over me and the growing kid. Anyway…I miss the outdoors. I’d like to stand outside and not, you know, feel like my bones are turning to ice.”

            “I understand.” Well, you could understand…but you had never gone through this. You had never had a child or even gotten married to the point of having some parent-in-law. You had never experienced the sort of physical pain that Em was referencing. But you understood. “I’m still gonna miss you.” You stood pantless, evidently having had the sense to take off those uncomfortable jeans more than set an alarm. Not that you had any sense of shame in this – you and Em had tried out dozens of clothes and changed outfits together far more times than you could count.

            This time when Em spoke, there was a catch in her voice. “I’m gonna miss you too.” Even in the growing dawn light, you could see her eyes were suspiciously bright. Emilie stepped forward just as you did and you both hugged one another tight.

            “Damn it, Em,” your own voice sounded a bit rough, “you’re gonna make me cry. Stop that. I don’t like crying – makes me look all gross.” You tried to use humor to handle the intense emotions then.

            Emilie squeezed you tighter, a smile evident in her tone, “Oh, psh, you always look gorgeous, gorgeous.”

            A second voice rang out from the top of the stairs. “i’ll second that notion.”

            Immediately, you jumped and spun around, letting go of Emilie. Em did the same although the difference was, she was grinning. “Sans.” She greeted calmly.

            “Sans!” You snapped. Turning to Em, you pointed out, “I thought you said he respects our privacy and doesn’t just…‘shortcut’ his way up here!”

            Em offered a sheepish grin. “I believe I had said something like ‘ _generally speaking_ ’, so I’m covered in this case. Plus, it’s just the living room…not like he appeared in the shower – Sans, don’t you dare.” In the gentle, soothing defense she made to you, it was quite amusing to hear her make a sharp turn into ‘threatening’ as she glared at Sans at the last part.

            The skeleton shrugged his shoulders. “you’ve gotta buy me dinner before you can see me in the shower.” Em was snickering while you tried your best to glare, but even you felt your lips twitch at that one. The skeleton looked far too content with himself for that one – but then, he always did, didn’t he? “i thought you might still be asleep,” he told you, “so I figured instead of calling out for Ems here, I’d just…show myself in.” Why did you have the feeling that this prankster was going to plague you for all your time here?

            “How thoughtful.” You said dryly.

            Em reached over and squeezed your hand. “You could come visit me whenever you’d like.” She tried to soften the blow. You both had been consumed with the incidents of life and of living for months now. You both had adjusted to being apart, to handling each unique problem, and trying to rebuild yourselves. Now that you two had been spending a couple days together, you both had fallen into the normality of it so swiftly, as if no time had passed at all. For Em to leave now, you both felt…a pang at the loss. “Sans won’t mind taking you on a shortcut to visit me…right, Sans?”

            The bones in the blue jacket nodded. “yeah sure, whatever makes you and the kid happy, Ems.”

            Offering her a small smile, you nodded. “Should be an interesting experience to use one of his…shortcuts.” You hesitated briefly. “I expect a call when you _do_ go into labor though.”

            Em smiled wider, looking excited at the prospect. “Of course I will! I imagine half the town here will want to know, but you’ll be the first. Well, alright, fourth after myself, my mom, and my in-law.”

            Chuckling, you nodded. The lightness wasn’t quite as feather-like as before, but the heavy sorrow didn’t feel quite as weighty. “It’s a deal. Call me when you get bored. Or text.” Once more, you stepped forward to hug her tight and felt that same sharp pang as before. “Sans,” you said as you turned to face the skeleton, “take care of her on your little…trip.”

            As Em got closer to him, Sans winked at you – the pinpricks of light in one eye disappeared. “i wouldn’t let her _fall._ come on Em, I already took your luggage.” Pause. His eyes roamed lowered. “uh, by the way…nice ‘shorts’.”

            _You had been standing in just your socks, panties, and shirt all this time._

            A sharp yelp left you as you realized what he meant. “SANS!” You shouted and grabbed the throw pillow nearby. With a sharp move, you threw the pillow straight at him – whack! It bounced off his skull. He only chuckled, his shoulders moving underneath that jacket of his. He held his hand out for Em, who was snickering, to take. “just can’t take a compliment, can ya, Slugger?”

            With that and a wave from Em, the pair walked down the hallway…and were gone. You went to check that they were in fact gone, that Sans’ ‘shortcut’ had worked. The bathroom and bedroom were empty. It was six in the morning and you were alone in Monster Town, in your friend’s apartment.

            The heaviness sunk your heart further. Wide awake now, you decided to make yourself some coffee. Coffee helped a lot of things…and maybe you’d sit out on the balcony…monster-watch…try to get rid of this sudden loneliness.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “We have calcium in our bones, iron in our veins,  
> carbon in our souls, and nitrogen in our brains.  
> 93 percent stardust, with souls made of flames,  
> we are all just stars that have people names.”
> 
> -Nikita Gill

 

            Perhaps if you had been back in the city, you might have had a cup of coffee on the balcony, and then meandered out to find a friend or two to visit. Given that you were still new – very new – to this town, however, you didn’t feel quite so comfortable in venturing out in this state. You were just…too sad to go out. You missed Em, even if she had _just_ left a few hours ago. You didn’t want to infect anyone with the sadness, for surely they missed her too. And, really, who did you know besides Sans and Grillby?

Grillby was a man of business, and a silent creature…and Sans? Sans was…well, you didn’t know what sort of guy he was just yet. A funny one, sure, but you were almost certain that he was dealing with his own longing, and adding your own to his just didn’t seem fair. It didn’t feel like it’d be a great start to a friendship that was strictly build between you and him, now that Em was down south.

So once you finished your coffee, you got dressed and went to open the bookstore. It was…quiet for the day. The wind had picked up a bit. A report on the computer said that snow might be expected soon – you couldn’t help but think that Em had left just in time. Although the apartment/store remained quite warm thanks to whatever Grillby had done, you knew it was about to get a lot colder outside.

It was a bit exciting though, to know it might snow soon. You loved the cold weather and loved the snow even more, particularly when you didn’t have to drive through it. You adored the silence it brought with it. Actually, in the city, all the snow brought was muffling, but even that was a welcomed change. There was that to look forward to, you tried to focus on that excitement.

To your dismay, however, the store remained…quiet…most of the day. Okay, _all_ of the business day. You went through another cup of coffee, had a sandwich and apple, and spent most of the time reading a couple different books.

When closing time came around, you flipped the sign and sighed. The day had zipped by. For a brief moment, you thought about going to Grillby’s for a drink, but…you hesitated. Given your first day of fantastical sales (i.e., none) you didn’t think you could spare the money to go out. After all, you had food here. Since you didn’t really know anyone, you couldn’t exactly justify going out to socialize either, not yet at least. So you stayed in, cooked yourself a meal, cleaned up, and tried to watch television. All that was on, however, was some weird…dance-cooking show with a robot named ‘Mettaton’? That was too weird to handle sober so you turned off the television after a while.

A glance out the window – yes, you had forgotten to close the curtains earlier, oops – revealed that it was dark and a bit windy. You made a slight face. You were absolutely warm and comfortable in here…that simply wouldn’t do. It made sense when Em was here, but you wanted to feel the chill of the winter weather outside, just a little. You thought it criminal to be able to be comfortable in shorts and a simple top inside while outside it was dropping double digits.

Deciding to solve this issue, you picked up the quilt from the foot of the couch, turned off a few of the lights, and opened the balcony. Immediately, the sharp winds of a cooling night flooded into the apartment. You smiled, enjoying the way the invisible breeze wrapped around your bare limbs. You left the door open and went to sit in the same chair you had occupied some twelve hours ago, blanket wrapped around you as a half-hearted attempt of protection

It was quiet…but not too quiet. It wasn’t from potential snow, but just from the peace that was Monster Town. When the door at Grillby’s opened next door, you could hear the faint noise of music, chatter, and clinking, but even that was a tranquil sort of set. With your socks on, you put your feet up on the ledge of the metal railing and sat back in the chair. Occasionally you could hear the footfalls or talk of some monsters underneath you, but you weren’t sure if you’d be able to see them in the street lamps, so what was the point of looking? No, you became comfortable swiftly in this position, hands keeping the quilt tightly around your shoulders while the angle of your legs forced the quilt to melt in the chair. It was a good mixture of cold and warmth, one that felt fantastic.

And after a while, you forgot to pay attention to how you felt physically. In the way you slid down the chair to be comfortable with your legs propped up, your eyes had started to naturally roam the dark sky. It wasn’t quite so dark though. With the street lamps – fire that was strong and fairly bright somehow, though not as bright as an LED bulb thankfully – you were able to see more of the stars than you had in the past few years in the city.

There were _so many_ …it was a marvel in itself. And if that wasn’t a city-slicker thought, you didn’t know what was. But ah, how they twinkled and sparkled. You felt your breath catch a few times in awe. Some were brighter and bigger than others, and you felt sore regret at not knowing the constellation names.

How was it that there could be such a vast space out there? How was it that we were hardly more than a spec in the universe? How was it that we knew so much, yet clearly not all, here…and knew so little out there? We know what the stars of made up, don’t we? They’re made up of the same stuff the rest of our world is made up of, a part of it all. We are, by that default, made up of stars, aren’t we?

And to think that somewhere, someone might be looking up at the sky, looking directly towards Earth, wondering what else occupied space…? But if there were others out there, how would humanity react? You need only look around you to know that answer. Your heart felt a bit heavy at that. To our shock and, yes, you’d be the first to admit it, horror, everyone had discovered that _monsters were real all along_ just a few months ago.

They looked different, they behaved different, they could do different things…and we were scared of them. We wanted them gone. Glad to see humanity hadn’t changed much in a core-sense for the past…well, however long it had been since they were driven underground. How long was that? Evidently we had changed just enough to allow them to remain on the surface for the past, what, eight or nine months? That might change in the future, but we had grudgingly settled on letting them exist up here with us again – so long as they stayed in the far, far away, rural, broken down part of this area. And, you thought with a sharper ache, mostly because no one had probably figured out a solid way to get “rid” of these monsters yet.

You rememberd something being mentioned about a magic barrier. Magic…heh, yeah, magic. Disbelief flickered still, even for a heartbeat, despite being in Monster Town. That would still take time to get used to, far more so than their presence. But then, you hadn’t really seen a lot of magic happening out in the open, had you? Not in the few days you had been here so far. You imagined that they’d be careful, that the monsters had agreed to limit as much as they could the excuses for the human government to work against them. Grillby’s sealing of Em’s apartment – which was made invalid due to the door being open now – and Sans’ shortcuts were just subtle enough to not cause alarm.

But you were struck with the fact that really…no one _knew_ anything about the monsters. Nothing definitive. You wondered then, if only for the moment, if you might be able to write their story…or stories. Maybe you could make a name for yourself and help the monsters by giving a sort of…history book of monsters. Or…something. You had to worked this out before you actually tried anything.

Your thought process was brought back to the earlier thought line you had. You knew how humanity would react to anyone different, be it underground or those in space – they’d fear them, hate them, and try to conquer them. A soft sigh left you as you let your feet, finally, fall from the railing. When they landed on the balcony floor, you winced at how long you had stretched them, numb as they were now

It was then that you became aware that much time had passed since you first looked up at the sky. You had no idea just how late it was currently, but you felt like it was late. When you looked down, trying to help your neck out from being stuck in the same position for so long, a light caught your attention. It wasn’t a street lamp, but fire next door coupled with the sound of keys clinking.

You blinked. How had you missed the monsters leaving? Were you really that out of it, deep in thought? You leaned forward on the edge of your chair. Below you was indeed fire – it was Grillby! He was closing up the bar, having just turned the key. You blinked and smiled a little. However his patrons had left, you hadn’t noticed, and they probably hadn’t noticed your still form. Or maybe they had? She wouldn’t blame them if they looked up every time they went out, to see the sky instead of…what, dirt from the Underground?

What did the Underground look like? Did they seasons? Did they have weather? You wanted to know so, so much. Before you could think up more questions that you’d probably never ask, the man of fire moved.

He put his keys in his pant pocket – he wore the same clothes or something very similar to when you saw him yesterday, even the same red bow tie – and turned, as if to walk. First, however, he tilted his head back and looked up at the sky…and at you.

Your face heated instantly when you felt, rather than saw, your eyes meet his. The saving grace was that it was just too dark out here to tell how pink, or _red,_ you got. A simple glimpse around had been caught and turned undoubtedly into the assumption that you had been staring at him, stalking him. How could you not with this prime perch above his bar?

You bit your lower lip, feeling the awkwardness grow with every passing second. Before you could fathom what to do, Grillby pulled the hand out of his pocket and raised it slowly, a wave. While the sort of awkward, frozen spell had been broken, your heart sped up.

With the same sort of slowness, you poked your hand out of the blanket and waved back just as steady. He didn’t leave though. You didn’t either. You just kept…staring at each other. It took a solid moment or two to realize something: neither of you were speaking. But then, Grillby wasn’t the kind to speak, was he? Feeling foolish at your mistake, thinking he had been waiting for you to dismiss him or something, you cleared your throat. His flame flickered.

“Evening. You uh…” You…what? What were you going to say? You hadn’t planned a single thing. Oh, Em was going to have an absolute field day with this.

Emilie…oh, right, she…would have to hear about it through phone…because she wasn’t here. She had left. Tonight would be your first night to sleep in her bed – though honestly you might just slumber on the couch for consistency’s sake – and she wouldn’t be waiting behind you for all the details of this silly encounter. You had the apartment to yourself…all by yourself. And as lonely and sad as that was…it was kind of creepy when you thought about it this late. Sure, the doors and windows were locked – probably for the first time since before Em moved here – but Sans had proved that did little to stop some of these monsters.

Heh, the monsters. You were scared of ghosts and monsters from the old sense of them being unnerving, unnatural, and unreal. But now? Now you were living in Monster Town with the monsters and ghosts that were probably the very least likely ones to harm you. No, you had far more to fear from your own kind – isn’t that why you had locked your doors and windows in the city for years? – than you did with these folks.

Not that that had lessened the loneliness about the situation. So you made a split decision. “You wanna come up for a bit? It’s not as warm as before…left the door open for a while…but it’s a nice view from up here.” Pause. Wait, had that sounded like you had…hit on him? He probably thought you had been watching him, and that line you just used? Your neck became hot and you stuttered. “N-not that…I meant, the sky. The view of the sky is nice from here. I was watching the sky before you…” Any chance of saving face was gone. You were an absolute bumbling idiot. Irritated with yourself, you sighed and ordered, “Just, get up here, damn it.”

Grillby’s flame flickered just as his shoulders moved, suggesting that he was amused, perhaps even chuckling. You wondered if he made a noise when he laughed. You wondered if he even laughed. He nodded though and started towards the bookstore door.

Satisfied, you had just started to lean back into the chair when you realized something. You had locked the door. Shit, that would make it difficult for him to get up, wouldn’t it? Not everyone had Sans’s gift with shortcuts – thank fuck, you thought. “So much for saving face.” You grumbled to yourself as you stood, keeping the blanket tightly around you.

Mindful of the numbness in your legs and feet, you moved carefully through the door. The apartment was still warm, warmer than you expected – how?! You had left the door open for the wind to enter for several hours, how was it still a sort of comfortable heat? Shaking your head, you started towards the staircase. It wouldn’t do to leave Grillby out there waiting. Or, worse, for him to leave, thinking you had spurred him or something.

Just as you started to walk down the staircase, a light flickered at the bottom. You jumped, your foot landing and tangling up the blanket. It drew a gasp from your lips as you startled to stumble down the once-dark, dimly-lit staircase. Before your knees could hit the stairs, however, a brighter light swept forward and wrapped around you, catching and enveloping you in the warmth.

You blinked, processing it all. Raising your eyes, you found that Grillby’s glasses were just inches from your face – _you_ were inches from _his_ face. Of course that also meant that your red cheeks were evident, being so close. But the first question?

“How did you get in?!” Shit, was this another monster with the ‘shortcut’ power?

As you both stood, he held up whatever he had been holding previously: a ring of keys. You blinked, carefully picking up the fallen blanket as you tried to process what he was saying without speaking. “Oh.” You blamed it on your tired brain. “Em gave you a key to the place and you used it.”

Of course she did. Not only were they friends, but she was pregnant. Of course it would be wise to have her friends and neighbors be able to check in on her in case something happened. A privilege, your mind thought in a treacherous manner, that should have been yours, had you been able to get over here sooner. No matter.

When Grillby made a gesture of the key to you and looked like he was about to try and pull it off the ring, you shook your head. “No, no, no, it’s alright. Seriously. Who knows, maybe one day it’ll come in handy. Like, tonight. I would have broken my neck.” You pointed out, unfazed by the morbid possibility that had been quite real. Grillby looked like he had, however, as his flame raised higher and brighter. “Anyway, uh…” Well, back to awkward. That was nice while it lasted, to not feel quite as…well, as you did.

Instead of being confident and cool, you felt very much so flustered and embarrassed that you had been so lonely, that you had actually nearly hurt yourself quite badly. Hoping he wouldn’t pick up on how you hadn’t wanted to be alone, you nodded towards the second level. “So. Balcony?”

            Grillby seemed to study you for one more moment before he gave a measured nod. Satisfied, you wrapped the quilt around you once more and turned, starting up the staircase. It didn’t really hit you until you got onto the second floor, the actual ‘apartment’ threshold, that you had just invited a man of fire here with you…alone…a man who never spoke. This was going to be a great one-sided conversation…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't forgotten about this tale! I've just been hit hard with finishing up the semester and prepping for the next life step, etc etc. Anyway. Next chapter: Grillby and the reader "talk". Well, they talk as much as a pair can when one doesn't speak much...or at all, as far as the reader knows.


End file.
